Dr Felicity D'Mello
BSc PhD
Lecturer
Department: Pathobiology and Population Sciences
Campus: Camden
Research Groups: Host-Pathogen Interactions and Vaccinology, IRLFS (Research Programme)
Felicity is a Lecturer in Virology. She is a Molecular Virologist with interests in vaccines and bioinformatics. Currently she is working on bovine enteric caliciviruses.
Felicity obtained a first degree in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the University of Manchester, Institute of Science and Technology from 1983-1985. From 1985 onwards she worked at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine focusing primarily on viruses that cause hepatitis (mainly hepatitis B).
Felicity joined the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø in 1991 with Colin Howard as a research assistant working on a PhD part time (Structural studies of the hepatitis B virus envelope proteins). After completing her PhD in 1999, Felicity continued working at the RVC as a Post-doctoral researcher until she was made an assistant lecturer in December 2007 and then lecturer in in 2010..
Felicity and Colin Howard received a SMART award from the Department of Trade and Industry after commercialising their research with DNA vaccines by setting up a company called Virexis to develop therapeutic vaccines for Hepatitis B.
Felicity has completed the Post Graduate certificate in Veterinary Education and is currently doing a Diploma in Veterinary Education.
Felicity’s research with hepatitis B originally focused on defining antigen determinants on the surface on the hepatitis B virus (HBV) using synthetic peptides and random peptide libraries with the aim to design a peptide vaccine for hepatitis B.
Felicity has worked on an EU funded project which investigated the use of DNA vaccines with various delivery systems to treat chronic hepatitis B using the woodchuck hepatitis B virus as a model for HBV in humans. Felicity has also been involved in a BBSRC funded project to develop a DNA vaccine to prevent infection of the spring vireamia of carp virus for use in fish.
Felicity is currently working with bovine enteric caliciviruses and Hepatitis E virus. In particular, she has been examining the sequence heterogeneity of a newly described genus of calicivirus and is now developing ELISAs to determine the prevalence of these viruses.
D'MELLO, F., JERVIS, S.M., EDWARDS, P.M., OLIVER, S.L. & BRIDGER J.C. (2009)Heterogeneity in the capsid protein of bovine enteric caliciviruses belonging to a new genus. Virology 387(1):109-16.
MENDY, M., D'MELLO, F., KANELLOS, T., OLIVER, S., WHITTLE, H. & HOWARD, C. R. (2008) Envelope protein variability among HBV-Infected asymptomatic carriers and immunized children with breakthrough infections. J Med Virol 80, 1537-1546.
KANELLOS, T., SYLVESTER, I. D., D'MELLO, F., HOWARD, C. R., MACKIE, A., DIXON, P. F., CHANG, K. C., RAMSTAD, A., MIDTLYNG, P. J. & RUSSELL, P. H. (2006) DNA vaccination can protect Cyprinus Carpio against spring viraemia of carp virus. Vaccine 24, 4927-4933.
MATHET, V. L., FELD, M., ESPINOLA, L., SANCHEZ, D. O., RUIZ, V., MANDO, O., CARBALLAL, G., QUARLERI, J. F., D'MELLO, F., HOWARD, C. R. & OUBINA, J. R. (2003) Hepatitis B virus S gene mutants in a patient with chronic active hepatitis with circulating Anti-HBs antibodies. J Med Virol 69, 18-26.
VECCHIONE, A., CATCHPOLE, B., D'MELLO, F., KANELLOS, T. & HAMBLIN, A. (2002) Modulating immune responses with dendritic cells: an attainable goal in veterinary medicine? Vet Immunol Immunopathol 87, 215-221.
MOYNIHAN, J. S., BLAIR, J., COOMBES, A., D'MELLO, F. & HOWARD, C. R. (2002) Enhanced immunogenicity of a hepatitis B virus peptide vaccine using oligosaccharide ester derivative microparticles. Vaccine 20, 1870-1876.
D'MELLO, F. & HOWARD, C. R. (2001) An improved selection procedure for the screening of phage display peptide libraries. J Immunol Methods 247, 191-203.
MOYNIHAN, J. S., D'MELLO, F. I. & HOWARD, C. R. (2000) 48-mer synthetic peptide analogue of the hepatitis B virus "a" determinant induces an anti-HBs antibody response after a single injection. J Med Virol 62, 159-166.
D'MELLO, F., KAIRO, S. K., HOWARD, C. R. & PARTIDOS, C. D. (1999) Mapping the specificity of an anti-feline immunodeficiency virus monoclonal antibody using a filamentous phage displayed peptide library. Vaccine 18, 371-375.
HOWARD, C. R., GRAY, L., D'MELLO, F., CHRISTOPHER, J. & CRASKE, J. (1998) Nucleic acid vaccines against hepatitis viruses. Dev Biol Stand 92, 157-162.
D'MELLO, F., PARTIDOS, C. D., STEWARD, M. W. & HOWARD, C. R. (1997) Definition of the primary structure of hepatitis B virus (HBV) pre-S hepatocyte binding domain using random peptide libraries. Virology 237, 319-326.
STEWARD, M. W., PARTIDOS, C. D., D'MELLO, F. & HOWARD, C. R. (1993) Specificity of antibodies reactive with hepatitis B surface antigen following immunization with synthetic peptides. Vaccine 11, 1405-1414.
Felicity is Deputy Teaching Co-Ordinator for the PPS department and is responsible for teaching of the MSci/BSc BioScience suite of courses. She is the Research project co-ordinator for Year 2 of the MSci/ BSc BioScience course. Felicity is part of the virology team that teaches the MSci/ BSc BioScience, BVetMed and Graduate Entry students. Felicity also teaches on the MSc One Health and is an undergraduate and post graduate tutor.